PLANS to reshape club cricket throughout the region with the aim of increasing participation have been announced.

The 'Two Valleys Cricket League' would be based on a six-tier pyramid system with elite teams placed at the top, while the bottom tier would include a larger number of teams split into regional divisions.

The move is aimed at reducing travel costs and boosting participation which, organisers say, has become 'static.'

A steering group has now been set up explore the idea and they are in close consultation with the eight leagues in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire; the Home Counties Premier League, Thames Valley League, Berkshire Cricket league, Chilterns League, Cherwell League, Four Counties League, Mid-Bucks Cricket League and the Oxford Cricket Association.

At present, those leagues boast nearly 600 teams with more than 6,000 playing members.

However, the new pyramid system is aimed at cutting travel time and expense, especially for teams of a lower standard.

Under the proposal, tier one would include the region's top 20 teams, tier two 30 teams, tier three 40 teams and tier four 80 teams.

Tiers five and six would be further regionalised, with five boasting 160 teams and six 240 teams spread across various divisions.

As the number of participating teams increase as you move down the pyramid, so the amount of travel time required is reduced.

Organisers believe the move would help attract new members who have less time to devote to the sport, and also increase sponsorship revenue.

The steering group, with representatives from each current league, is now putting together a draft proposal before consulting with clubs over the summer.

At the end of the season, clubs will then be asked to vote on whether to accept the proposal for a 'Two Valleys Cricket League.'

If they accept, the new pyramid system would come into operation for the 2018 season based on clubs' finishing positions at the end of the 2017 campaign.

What do you think about the proposals?

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